Day 1 of Our Wild West Yellowstone Adventure

by Cindy Baker

Day 1 of our Wild West Adventure – Flying from Memphis, Tennessee to Billings, Montana provided incredible views of the majestic Rocky Mountains, abundant rivers, canyons, and so much green everywhere. I always prefer the window seat on an airplane for this very reason. We were so excited to be away from the heat and humidity we are used to and to explore Big Sky country where you can see for miles and miles. It is absolutely gorgeous!

We spent our first night in Billings and found the town to be quite charming. The city’s tag line is “Montana’s Trailhead,” and although we did not hike that day we could see that there are many trails in the shadows of the Rimrocks and along the rivers and streams. Billings has hundreds of acres of city parks and 47 miles of walking and biking trails that surround the city. Seven miles of these trails are along the beautiful Yellowstone River. You can get a complete map of Billings’ trail systems at VisitBillings.com/goplay.

Montana is known for fly fishing, so we saw lots of fishermen and women in the many creeks and rivers all throughout Montana and Wyoming. Remember the movie “A River Runs Through It?” Call the Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks (406-247-2940) for information about fishing access sites and licenses. There are many other outdoor activities, a zoo, shopping, restaurants, and more. If you are a beer drinker there is even Montana’s only walkable Brewery Trail in the heart of downtown Billings. In fact, almost every town near Yellowstone has several micro-breweries.

Mountain Streams like this one are all throughout Montana.

Insider Tip: You can even stop by the Visitor Information Center to borrow a bike for the day or find a bike rental location close by. You can borrow the bike for free, but a credit card is required to guarantee the return of the undamaged bike.

Great Restaurant: Lunch at the Montana Club restaurant was absolutely delicious! https://www.montanaclub.com/billings-restaurant-steak-prime-rib-seafood-burgers-happy-hour/

Jack Daniels Steak Bites – Filet Mignon sauteed with peppers and onions, glazed with Jack Daniels Brown Sugar Sauce and topped with Skinny Onion Rings. What?!!

Montana has a lot of Native American culture, which is really cool. The Crow and Northern Cheyenne reservations are located near Billings. How did the Crow get their name? The Crow reservation, established in 1851, originally had the tribal name of “Apsaalooke,” which in their native tongue means “children of the large beaked bird.” Over time this name was misinterpreted, turning the tribe into the “Crow.” The Northern Cheyenne Reservation, established in 1884, has some tourist attractions such as a historical buffalo jump, burial sites of Indian Chiefs, Custer’s last camp before the Battle of Little Big Horn and St. Labre Indian School. There are also cultural centers and three museums.

Insider Tip: When in a reservation always ask before taking a picture, since some cultural traditions may not welcome this in all areas.

The Yellowstone Kelly interpretive Site is at the top of Sword’s Rimrock Park and overlooks downtown Billings. Luther Sage “Yellowstone” Kelly was one of the most notable frontiersman, American veteran, and warriors of his time. You can visit YellowstoneKelly.org to check out the 24-hour live stream video. Probably the most famous of all Western explorer/settler stories is the story of Lewis and Clark (1804-1806). Captain William Clark spent three years with Lewis exploring this region. Clark and his men passed through Billings in July 1806 on their way to Pompeys Pillar, where his signature remains carved into the pillar to this day. Other notable people of history include Preston Boyd Moss, who started the Billings Gazette and Billings Utility Company, Frederick Billings, who made a name for himself during the gold rush and ended up getting this town named after him, and my favorite “Calamity Jane.” Martha Canary, better known as Calamity Jane, was known for chewing tobacco, heavy drinking, and acting out in general. She spent a lot of time in Billings at a log cabin on Canyon Creek from 1893 – 1902.

Motorcycle enthusiast? The number one motorcycling road in America, according to American Motorcyclist magazine is about 60 miles from Billings: U.S. Highway 212, better known as the BearTooth Highway. Many hotels even have bike washing stations. We tried to drive up to see the views the day we stayed in Billings, but when we got near the top it started hailing! Yes, in July. We don’t see hail in July in Memphis; that’s for sure. So even though we decided to turn back early that day we went back over the mountain pass on our way back to the Billings airport from West Yellowstone at the end of our trip and were amazed at how high up we were (it climbs to 10,947 feet above sea level) and how beautiful the scenery is. Over 950 alpine and glacial lakes, the snowed covered Beartooth Mountains, green valleys. These mountains boast 20 peaks over 12,000 feet in elevation (including Granite Peak, Montana’s highest at 12,799 feet). There really are no words. I have climbed 14,000 + footers in Colorado, skied the Swiss Alps, and been on the Italian Riviera, but the views from the BearTooth Highway might outweigh them all. Named “the most beautiful roadway in America” by On the Road correspondent Charles Kuralt, it is definitely worth the drive!

Insider Tip: If you are renting a car, get one with four-wheel drive built for climbing steep hills. A small economy car won’t cut it. Also make sure the brakes work!

Our view going over the mountain pass on the Bear Tooth Highway

Red Lodge: To get up to the mountain pass from Billings on the BearTooth Highway you have to go through a quaint little town at the foot of the mountain called Red Lodge (elevation 5,555). The main street downtown, called Broadway, is lined with cute locally owned gift shops, art galleries, antique shops, boutiques, a bookstore, a candy store, and over twenty eateries. It sort of felt like we were walking around a movie set.

Insider Tip: Plan on at least two ½ hours driving time to get from Red Lodge to Yellowstone – more if you plan on stopping a lot. The road is very steep and winding.